Several critically ill children and their family members got the Turkey Hill Experience this weekend! The families enjoyed a series of interactive exhibits where they got to learn how ice cream is made, packaged and marketed. They were also treated to unlimited ice cream samples!

The group also learned about dairy culture and the story of Turkey Hill Dairy. They created their own virtual ice cream flavor, played in a vintage milk truck, milked mechanical cows, and starred in their very own Turkey Hill commercials!

Vanya, mom of five-year-old Elliott, said her son enjoyed making lemon ice cream because it's something you can't really get anywhere else and he "prefers tart flavors since he started chemo."

"It was nice to see him running around and being normal for a day," Vanya said. "We used to be a very active family and that has changed since he started treatment. Just for a little while, it made him forget. It was a day where he could just be Elliott, not a sick kid."

Dana, mom of 15-year-old Laneah, agreed.

"It was a really fun day all around," Dana said. "It was nice to have something fun to do this weekend instead of being in the hospital. We loved making the ice cream ourselves and Laneah really loved making the commercial!"

Sarah, mom of 10-year-old Madeline, said the trip was fun for kids as well as adults. 

"It's nice to just relax and have fun," Sarah said. "Madeline has hours of treatment every day and things like this give us something to look forward to."

The event was one of Casey Cares Caring Connections parties. We organize them because parents never know how their child will be feeling and that makes it difficult to plan fun, family things to do. It's also a great way to meet other families in our programs. A big thanks to Turkey Hill for helping to make this memory possible!